Oriel led Astrum quickly higher up into the main building, hoping to finally get some time in showing him how to do things. She struggled to push the door open to the roof, gesturing for the pale-haired boy to fallow and grinning her toothy smile and running outside into the gusty air. Parts of the roof were sunken in with puddles of partially frozen water, but it felt sturdy enough beneath her feet that it would at least hold her and the boy. She looked back eagerly to make sure he was still with her, he seemed to run off a lot.

Raven fidgeted with his glove nervously as he fallowed after Sliet outside on the campus grounds, glancing back at the main building where they had left Kail with Alpha and Astrum with the little girl... It wasn't that he was afraid of or disliked Sliet; she seemed pretty nice- He just wasn't sure about being able to fulfil whatever she expected of him. He would do pretty much anything besides intentionally play with fire, but that was exactly what he knew he was supposed to do. He was still trying to wrap his head around everything about them inheriting powers and living a really long time. He wasn't exactly happy about the idea- spending an eternity with fire powers? He tried desperately to see it as something positive, and at least here was better than home, but he felt uneasy at the prospect of it all. As they stopped, he glanced up at the other sheepishly through dark hair, trying to swallow the nervousness.

Astrum stumbled after the girl reluctantly, growing more and more anxious the more stairs they ran up. He hesitated for a moment when she opened the door before stepping out onto the roof behind her. The sight of the rooftop made him tense, certainly unhappy with being up this high, but the wind calmed him down some in a way, whipping his [ale hair against his forehead and up into a mess. "What are we doing up here?" He asked syiffly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Sliet walked happily off of campus to what was a nearby park. It would leave them lots of open space for practice without hurning down buildings unneecesarily. Rather proud for having found a good practice spot, she turned to raven smiling widely. Her expression quickly changed when she saw the lok,on his face, shifting from happiness, to confusion, and finally sympathy. She understood how he felt. It had been a very pong time ago, and the circumstances were fairly different, but she could remember when her predecesor had first found her. She smiled a littl softer this time and rested her hands on her hips. "I'm going to guess you still have questions. So, what do you want to do?" She asked, the look in her eytes betraying her actual age. She could be patient if she had to be, and she wasnt about to force this por kid to do anything he really didnt want to.

Oriel shut the door behind her, leaning on it a little bit. She didn't really pick up on Astrum seeming uncomfortable; he'd have fun once she showed him, right? As he inquired to what they were going to do. She flapped her arms like a bird for a moment and smiled giddily. Astrum didn't seem aware of his powers, and hers were damaged and gone for the most part, so the only way she figured that we was going to start using them was if his body had to save it's self from a life or death situation. Falling five stories should make that kick in, at least she hoped. If not, Daer better be close by.

Raven watched Sliet's smile fade and felt a little guilty. She looked like she was pretty optimistic about all this, and he was scared that she wouldn't be by the time she was done with him. He tried to return a smile, though it came across rather weakly. "Uh, well- I can create fire pretty easily... I just can't control it. It burns me and goes all over the place, and I can't put it out." He explained a little quickly, glad the other was willing to talk about it before jumping in. "I'd really like to learn how to have a better control over the fire, or just the heat in general." He asked quietly.. "-I-if that's okay- I mean." Sliet probably had a mastery over using the fire to her will; she seemed excited and confident, and here he was asking how to suppress it- he was sort of ashamed about being so bothered by the fire. "Something else is fine too- whatever you think would be best." He added hesitantly.

Astrum stared at the small girl with growing confusion. Could she not talk? Okay, no words then... what was the arm flapping suppposed to mean? She looked ridiculous, making her far less intimidating than he had seen her earlier. "Okay then." He sighed. She either couldnt or wouldnt tell him why they were here, so he allowed his gaze to drift to the towering buildings both nearby and in the distance, surprised that many of them hadnt fallen down.

Sliet thought for a moment when Raven had finished speaking. So thats what he wanted to learn. How could she teach that? She glanced around the area for something she could use when she saw a branch that looked like it had fallen from one of the dead trees in the park but had not yet rotted. Perfect. She jogged over to the stick, grabbed it, and ran back to where she had been standing with Raven. She placed the fair sized stick on the ground in between them and took a few steps back. "Okay, try lighting that on fire, but only one half. Make it as small as possible. " She said, gesturing to the stick.

Oriel looked at Astrum as the other gazed out across the sky line. She fallowed after him, coming up beside him and looking out as well to see what he was glancing at. Maybe he wasn't from a world like this. She didn't love it here, not anymore. She'd watched this world grow, and had been too trusting of it, simply because it had been home at one time. Shaking off her thoughts, she glanced at Astrum and decided to take her chance now. With a hearty shove and pushed him from the roof. Even if he didn't react well, she was sure the Reverent would at least try to preserve it's host, right?

Raven waited, watching Sliet curiously as the other walked around before bringing back a stick and resting it on the ground. He glanced up and nodded hesitantly. "Half? A-Alright." He took off his gloves and set them in his pocket to keep them from being burned, and pushed back his sleeves. Trying to concentrate, he tried to weaken the feeling of creating the fire, struggling and trying to visualize a smaller flame as he knelt slightly, one hand a little over one end of the branch. He was surprised as the wood started to grow black on one edge and tiny bits of fire sprang up for a few seconds. He marvelled briefly that it had worked before the entire branch combusted and set the surrounding grass on fire. He leapt back with a yelp, his hands burned and his heart racing. He wasn't sure how to put it out, and was worried he'd hurt Sliet by slipping up. Hurriedly, he tried to move the heat away from the flames to kill it, and the surrounding air became almost balmy as he waved his hands out, the fire simmering down on the branch, though he wasn't able to make the heat actually go away, just displace it. He looked up at Sliet with wide, apologetic eyes, holding his slightly scorched hand. "Sorry- I'm sorry- Are you okay?!" He asked.

Astrum gasped in surprise as he was pushed over the edge of the roof. His hands grasped at empty air in a vain attempt to catch himself on a ledge, or anything to stop his fall. He let out a less than manly scream as he plummeted to what he assumed to be his death. Eyes shut tight, he tensed, preparing for impact, but was surprised by the odd feeling of air seeming to gather under him and stopping his descent. Blue eyes opened to ogle at the groundseveral feet below him as he hovered for what felt like forever before the wind seemed to decide to throw him nack up onto the roof of the building. His arms flailed and he yelled again, terrified as he zipped through the air. He hit the roof near the small girl, knocking the wind out of him and sending him skidding a short distance where he gasped for breath, trembling from the fear and shock of what had just happened.

Sliet watched him light the stick successfully for a few seconds with her arms crossed, only jumping a bit when it went out of control, managing to keep it away from herself with ease. She blinked wide eyed at the ground that was now black as Raven doused the fire to the best of his ability. This was going to be harder than she thought. "Maybe we should start with a smaller stick." She muttered half to herself, only partially hearing what Raven had said. She looked up at him, thoughtfully again when she noticed his burnt hand. She had nearly forgotten that he wouldnt heal like she would, not yet anyway. "Here, let me see." She commanded softly, reaching for his hurt hand. She couldnt heal like Daer could, but burns healed faster when you got the heat out of them, like why you put snow or cold water on it, and that she could do. Besided, she didnt think he would have the control yet to do it himself.

Raven went quiet, realizing Sliet look okay for the most part. He held his breath, not sure how angry she was going to be, but she seemed more focused than mad. As she asked to see his hand, reaching out, he immediately tensed up and clutched his hand tighter, his posture becoming guarded as he hesitated for a moment, looking back at the other and unsure of what she intended to do.Swallowing and trying to believe she meant no harm, he tried to be compliant. he held his hand out slightly for the other to see. ''Sorry...-I-It's not that bad-" He started, not really feeling the burns too much at all- the nerves in his scarred hands were damaged enough that it wasn't as painful as it should have been. "Would you like me to- to try something else?" He asked.

Oriel Watched the other fall and grew anxious as he screamed. Had she made a mistake? But then he slowed- and came back-" She leapt out of the way, watching him smash into the rooftop, and ran over, concerned. She fell beside her counterpart and looked over him in a panic. He was breathing- or trying too- so he was okay, right? She felt bad suddenly, regretting having pushed him, though she hadn't really known another way to get him to understand when she had no words. She touched his arm carefully, trying to apologize and make sure he was okay.

Sliet frowned at raven, looking concerned but she let her hand fall to her side all the same. She would ask Daer to help later. She perked up a bit as he spoke. Maybe he was right, something else might be better for now. Kneeling down, she grabbed a piece of the stick that wasnt ash. It was admittedly rather small and she let it rest in the palm of her hand as she stood. Careful to keep a layer of cool air and material betwen the skin of her extended handa and the wood, she waved her other hand over it, setting the part of the chunk farthest from her palm alight. She had to concentrate on not burning herself, so she kept her eyes fixed on the small flame as she spoke. " okay, now try to put out the flame" she spoke clearly, hoping he would find this task easier, and with any luck, he would be a bit more careful now that the flame was in her hand.

Astrum flinched away from Oriel's touch, still trying to force himself to breathe again. He looked at her, terified she was going to try and throw him off the roof again. He was surprised to find her looking genuinely apologetic, and by the time he could breathe normally again he couldnt help but forgive her, at least to an extent. "Dont do that." He said sternly, trying to figure out why he wasnt spattered on the ground below.

Raven watched as Sliet bent to pick up the small piece of wood, looking at her in concern as she lit the thing on fire. Wasn't it burning her hand? She didn't look like she was in pain. He glanced up as his counterpart instructed him to put out the fire. He hadn't even known that was possible, aside from moving the heat around. But if he did that so carelessly, he knew it would burn her, and he didn't want to hurt the other. Stepping forwards, he swallowed, reaching his hand out before pulling it back a little, hesitant. He had no idea how to do that. What if he messed up again? He tried to concentrate.To create fire, he could visualize the flames and try to feel the energy of it rush through him, but if came pretty naturally and wildly. Raven hadn't really thought about his abilities or honed them much before coming here- it had been a few strange incidents where flame had been created unnaturally, and he hadn't really understood until they'd found themselves here. Maybe if he tried to reverse it, it would work?Nervously, he tried to think as little as possible of the fire, waving his hand carefully over the flame and imagining, feeling it going out as he attempted to suppress the uncertainty that was overwhelming him. The flame suddenly flickered up a little, about to rush out of control, but he refused to jump back, and shut his eyes tightly, wincing and trying with every thought and feeling to end the heat and light in Sliet's hand. He slowly opened one eye to see, and noticed the fire was gone, a small wisp of smoke trailing up from the wood. He eased up, looking from the piece of branch to Sliet and back. "I- It worked-" He said in quiet shock.

Oriel nodded, hesitating and sitting back as she let the boy catch his breath. She meekly waved her arms a little bit again, hoping he might understand she meant flight now, and pointed to him, then to herself, looking hopeful and sorry.

"Don'tmsound so surprised. I knew you could do it." Sliet giggled hapily, though it wasnt the whole truth. She had had some doubts, but she had hoped desperately that he would be able to do it. She loooked at him in amusement. "Want to try again? We can work at this until you get the hang of it if you want." She offered, grinning.

Astrum looked at the girl in confusion. Again with the arm flapping... and now pointing too. He blinked at her as he tried to decypher what she meant. Based on what the guy downstairs had said, the pointing probably meant that this girl was his counterpart, meaning that whatever she could do so could he. Is that what just happened? Did his ability save him? Or maybe it was her that did it? But even then, what exactlymwas his ability? He thought about what exactly had happened. He was falling, and then... the wind had stopped him... and pushed him back onto the roof. So he could make the wind do things then? But what did any of this have to do with arm flapping. /oh/ he thought with a sudden realization. Flapping her arms like a bird... Was she trying to tell him that they could fly? He looked up at the small girl, blue eyes wide in shock and understanding. That was actually a really cool power, it would be a lot cooler if he didn't hate heights, but a cool power all the same.

Raven glanced up at Sliet in confusion at first, wondering briefly is she was being sarcastic about his nearly failed attempt, a little unaccustomed to the positive encouragement. Realizing she was being genuine, or at least trying to have some faith in him, he nodded a little uncertainly, trying to offer a smile back. "A-alright if that's okay... Aren't you worried about me burning you?" He asked, kneeling to break another piece off of the burned branch to practice on again, and holding it out to her, though he was more than willing to simply try it with the wood on the ground if it made things safer for her.

Oriel got to her feet, waiting for Astrum to get back up. It seemed like he understood well enough now- so maybe they could take things from a less dangerous vantage point. He seemed okay, for the most part, so she ran over to the entrance and beckoned. Maybe jumping off of a tree stump or fence would be better now. Hopefully he would get things to come to him a little easier now. She held the door and waiting, looking back excitedly and impatiently.

Ijetu looked around for Calor hesitantly. He had been surprised when the other had simply shown up with the other two boys, but he was having a hard time communicating with the boy, despite their power, Calor seemed a little hesitant. He himself wasn't one to engage in small talk, but how was he supposed to mentor the boy with both their lack of willingness to communicate?

Sliet laughed at the idea of Raven being able to burn her as though he had told a good joke. "I doubt you could burn me even if you tried. I've had centuries to practice. You get to be prettygod at not getting burned after a year or so, but your pretty much set after give or take one-hundred. As long as I can somewhat anticipate it, i can stop it. It would heal soon anyway. Even if you could, thats your motivation." She said after her short fit of laughter. She hoped she wasnt scaring him. It was nice to have someone new around here, even with the circumstances, and she didnt want to freak him out too badly on the first day. She reached out to take the piece of wood and lit it in her palm once more, careful to not burn herself. "There. We can do this until your comfortable with it or just get tired of it, then we can move on if you want." She said with a smile, golden eyes focuseed on the flame once more.

Astrum watched as the girl headed for the door. The second her intentions were clear, the silver haired boy jumped up on shaky legs and bolted for the doorway and ran down the stairs ahead of her. He was more than a little eager to get back to solid ground.

Calor was laying onmone of the old couches in the main area that everyone seemed to live in when he spotted Ijetu. Based on what had been explained to him, the male was probably looking for him. The redheaded boy stood yawning, the chain hanging down his back jingling with the movement. He walked over to stand in front of Ijetu tiredly though a bit curious as tomwhat he needed. He looked calmly but expectantly up at the other, waiting for some kind of order. He really never knew what to do with himself without orders, so he hadnt really known what to do much at all as of late.

Raven nodded to Sliet as she explained and laughed, listening carefully but not really feeling settled by what he was hearing. A hundred years? He hadn't thought about living past sixteen. How was this all even possible? What on earth was he going to do with himself? The others had said that eventually they might be able to go home... Maybe there was something he could do to help those who were suffering in his world? By what, Raven, burning them? He thought, the idea falling apart. He'd considered trying to get to know some of the other kids- but every time he tried to speak to someone, he felt too nervous. He wasn't sure if Kail wanted to be friends, or if the other was just nice enough to be polite...Somnia was nice, he considered, but wasn't sure how she felt. Moving his attention back to training, he tried to focus again as Sliet lit the fire. "O-Okay. Thank you for being patient with me, Sliet." He replied quietly, a little thrown off by her joyfulness, but it was nice for a change compared to the dark moods of some of the others. He tired to do the same as he had before, focusing on the flame going out away; some of his nervousness gone from the successful attempt and Sliet's encouragement. He swallowed, his hands raised slightly to help with some control as he watched the flame flutter and die clumsily. He smiled a little, relaxing. This was... a little easier than he had thought... when he was able to calm down, at least.

Oriel chased after Astrum and fallowed him down to the ground floor, catching up. Hm. It might have been a little easier for him to try jumping off of the stairs... but maybe outside would work too- with a tree or something. She ran past him and out the door, turning to make sure he was fallowing.

Ijetu approached the boy, stopping to give him a little room. He noticed the chain and collar again; he hadn't the nerve to ask the boy why he wore it, but it made him uncomfortable. Calor obviously hadn't come from the best of lives; the boy was silent and was oddly dressed, and collars like that were generally the mark of some slave or prisoner- and he was only a boy. Not sure how to deal with the other, while Ije wasn't one for small talk, maybe it wouldn't hurt to try to chat with the other a little. "Uh- Hello Calor." He hesitated, then paused, considering the other's appearance again. "Hey- uh I was thinking we train some, but, well- It's getting pretty cold, so why don't we find you some warmer clothes first, and then we can try working on some things, huh?' He suggested gently, uncertain of his young counterpart.

(Okie morning skip for Madi... so, after the second thing with Zeta/two-three weeks or so(?) later I think)

Raven, attempted to fallow Sliet's instructions to be up early, climbing out of bed carefully so as to not wake Kail or Haekel. After tying his boots and slipping on his coat, he tried to exit the room quietly, and found his way down the stairs in the dark as best he could. Glancing around for the other, he blinked in gloom, keeping his voice at a whisper. "Sliet?" He would have produced a small flame in his hand to see what was around him better, but he a little felt uneasy about starting a fire indoors.

Sliet looked up at the sound of her name. She had completely lost herself in her thoughts and hadn't realized the time. Standing, she waved her hand to light a nearby candle, grabbing it by the small stand it sat on on her way over to Raven. "Come on." She said quietly, brushing past her counterpart and out one of the back doors, Taking long strides in the direction of the wide open area of the park.

Raven nodded as she spoke, following after the dark haired girl quietly. He remained wary, uncertain of what Sliet planned. He didn't outright distrust Sliet; she seemed kind and a mostly well intentioned, but he still felt discomforted, being led out into the dark with no idea how much she knew or how angry she was. Maybe this had no connection to him running off with Kail again, or maybe it did, but as much as he doubted Sliet would seriously harm him, he didn't let his guard down. As they walked towards the park, he caught himself mentally counting his paces again, a nervous habit, and tried to shake his worry off. Nothing Sliet was going to do would be that bad, right? and besides, he sort of deserved whatever she was up to, sneaking around without telling her anything could have resulted in the same fate for her that Tirza seemed tied to. "What would you like me to do?" He asked quietly as they reached the park, glancing up at her in question.

Sliet stopped beside Raven, golden eyes flicking over the nearby ground, trying to find a good spot. Decided, she pointed to a spot a little off to the side. "there. melt the snow in that little area and dry the ground if you can. a few square meters should do it." She said clearly, her words coming out as a mist that hung in the air and drifted away on the light breeze. She could have easily done it herself, and even if this wasnt her main purpose for coming out here this early, she knew her counterpart needed the practice.

Raven gave another little nod, walking over to where Sliet had pointed. Scared that if he tried in from a distance the flames would get too strong, he crouched and knelt on one knee, the cold lightly stinging his skin through the cloth as he reached out to the snow. Trying to concentrate, he let heat flow steadily into the ground. No real flames sputtered up; it was too wet and cold, but the snow started to melt away into runny slush and finally steaming into the air.When the snow was gone in a large patch, he struggled to control the heat for a moment as the dead, rough yellow grass rustled and started to singe, but pulled back and stood up quickly, letting the energy disappear.He glanced back at Sliet expectantly again, his eyes lit up by the candle light. "Is that okay?"

Sliet watched Raven carefully, ready to help if he got himself into a bad spot. She was rather impressed with how well he had done and was about to praise him or pat him on the back, but she remembered why they were out here, and that they were burning moonlight. She nodded, stepping over to the bare patch and laid down on the dry grass, carefully. She patted the grass next to her lightly for Raven to come and lay down too. Sliet crossed her arms behind her head and looked up at the stars thoughtfully. Some of the others had pointed out constellations with her once, though it seemed like forever ago now. "A lot of people have seen those same stars. feels weird if you think about it. Did you know that some of them have names?" she asked, without looking over at her dark haired counterpart.

Raven watched Sliet in confusion and stepped out of her way as she moved over and laid down where he had cleared the snow away. What on earth was she doing? Wasn't she cold? Didn't she feel vulnerable laying down like that in a place like this when there was so much going on? He blinked as she gestured for him to do the same, and swallowed uncomfortably before settling down uncertainly on the grass next to her. He hesitated a moment before awkwardly lying down on his back next to the other. He rested a scarred hand protectively over his stomach and drew his legs up slightly, as if the air itself might harm him. He took a shallow breath, glancing up at the stars above him and forgetting his worry a little bit at the beautiful dark sky. As Sliet spoke, he glanced over curiously, thinking about what she said. "Mm, I- I know a few." He replied softly, not sure is she wanted an answer or not.

Sliet hummed at his response, pausing before continuing. "Bellatrix, Umista, Pollux, Castor, Eridanus, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Saiph, Just to name a few. People have found pictures and stories and names for them. It takes centuries, Milenia even, of people staring at the night sky to do that." She said evenly, going silent for a long moment to stare at the thousands of little glowing specs of cosmic shmutz before continuing. "Do you know what happens to them if we die?" She asked, glancing at Raven out of the corner of her eye to guage his reaction.

Raven listened quietly as she named a few unfamiliar stars, taking in what she said. As she trailed off into silence, he glanced back up at the sky, breathing in the frigid winter air. He didn't feel too much of the cold, what with everything he was paying attention to, but then Sliet's words cut him like an icy blade as he understood what she was trying to get at. He didn't say anything, pausing, his voice weak. "They all go out." He replied. "Everything... everyone dies. I-I know..." His voice died in his throat as it sunk in. He thought of Kail; the warmth leaving the other, and felt a pang of anguish in his chest. The boy sat up a little, glancing back at his counterpart. He felt like it was no use to apologize. Ending all life with carelessness wasn't a forgivable mistake. They had a responsibility. It wasn't just him, his life or his suffering anymore, and he knew that he had forgotten that in the mess of trying to protect Kail and keep things from going wrong again. Unable to meet her eyes, he hesitated. "I'm sorry, Sliet...for being reckless... I...I know you've all gone through a lot of horrible things, and that so much is at stake, and I'm sorry that I forgot that. I..." He trailed off again, uncertain of what to say. "I'll try to think of the situation from now on, rather than what I'm.. concerned with." He added softly.

Sliet watched her counterpart closely, listening intently as he spoke. She kept her eyes on him for a while after he stoped before nodding, satisfied that he understood the gravity of the situation. She was fully aware that there was something he wasnt telling her, something more than the puppy, but if he didnt want to tell her then she wouldnt press him for answers. She just hoped he knew that she was here if he ever actually wanted to talk. She hummed to herself again, looking for familiar contelations . The sun would be up soon, andthey would have to go back, but for right now she was perfectly happy stargazing. "So have you figured out what you want to do once all this is over?" She asked casualy, definitely not eager to go back to campus.

Raven said nothing as the other nodded and went quiet, not sure if he was supposed to leave or stay, and rested back down uncertainly again. As she spoke, he hesistated. It wasn't that he hadn't thought about it, but then, he wasn't completely sure either. "I'm not certain... I want to go back to my world. Once I don't have to worry about death so much, I mean... A lot of people are suffering there. Maybe I can do something about it if I'm not so weak. I don't think I could enjoy anything else knowing I never tried to do anything about it..." He explained. He dreaded going back home, and he wasn't sure exactly what he planned to do, but how could just leave it all behind and live carefree while so many innocent people were dying over nothing? "But... I- I don't know. I want to stay with Kail." He admitted with slight guilt. "And I don't want to drag him into that, he's been through enough already." He didn't want the other to have to experience that place, or to even ask him to put up with that. He wasn't entirely sure Kail would even want to stay with him after all this was over. There was so much more out there for the other than violent people and ill treatment, and it wouldn't be right to pull Kail into more awful situations simply because the other cared about him enough to put up with that.

Sliet nodded again as raven spoke. It was a good goal, resonable. He could definitely help his wold if he was smart about it and knew mostly what he was doing. /going to have to be sure hes strong enough before this is over then./ she thoought with resolve. She smiled when he mentioned kail, looking over at her counterpart knowingly and quirking an eyebrow. "Kail huh? " she said, a sly look in her eye. She had her suspicioions about those two, but she hadnt known for sure until now.